PSL 11 to feature separate Urdu commentary as PCB receives biggest broadcast rights bid

LAHORE: The historic 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), scheduled to run from March 26 to May 3, will feature a separate Urdu commentary feed, tournament CEO Salman Naseer announced on Saturday.

Naseer announced the landmark development during a joint press conference with Walee Technologies' Ahsan Tahir after the firm made the biggest financial offer for the acquisition of media rights in the history of Pakistan cricket by putting forward a bid of PKR 26.11 billion.

The development came after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed the successful conclusion of the tender process for the TV Broadcast and Live-Streaming Rights of the HBL Pakistan Super League for the 2026–29 cycle.

According to the PCB, the tender process attracted the largest financial offer ever recorded for media rights in Pakistan cricket.

Prior to opening the financial bids, the board had announced a reserve price in line with what it described as a transparent and robust bidding process. Walee Technologies exceeded the collective reserve price with an unprecedented offer of PKR 26.11 billion.

The newly structured rights package allows for the exploitation of both television and live-streaming rights across Pakistan, ensuring extensive and enhanced coverage for hundreds of millions of cricket fans nationwide.

The PCB stated that the valuation reflects the exponential growth of the PSL over the past decade and underlines the commercial strength and brand value of the country's premier T20 tournament.

The four-year agreement, once executed, will cover the 2026 to 2029 editions of the league, shattering all previous records and valuations and reaffirming the PSL's position as one of the most sought-after T20 properties in the region.

Speaking at the press conference, Naseer revealed that one dedicated channel would carry Urdu commentary exclusively.

"We have already agreed on some things that we will do for their engagement. So one element in that is, one channel will be so dedicated, in which all the commentary and feed will be of Urdu. On the other three, you know, it's your right, but we have already agreed on one, that one channel will be completely in Urdu commentary," he said.

Walee Technologies' Ahsan Tahir emphasised the importance of maintaining high production standards while strengthening local expertise.

"It's very important that whenever we talk about excellence in Pakistan, or quality, one word that comes to mind is international quality. We have parked everything — our excellence, our quality work — with international standards. I feel that there is a lot of work to be done locally; there are a lot of professional people available, and we will work on that," he said.

Highlighting the long-term vision behind the agreement, Ahsan added that the Urdu feed would be a mandatory feature moving forward.

"So, that is why, Inshallah, on one channel, we are legally mandated to bring it to Urdu. But now, we will sit with all the broadcasters, publishers, TV channels, digital platforms, and we will say that it is a marathon, not a sprint. We will go from there," he concluded.